TAIPEI: Former US President Donald Trump “has rather a lot on his plate” and misunderstands Taiwan’s function within the semiconductor trade, probably as a result of others have misinformed him, the island’s Financial system Minister Kuo Jyh-huei mentioned on Monday (Sep 2).
Trump, the Republic nominee in November’s presidential election, unnerved democratically ruled Taiwan, which is claimed by China, by saying in July, “Taiwan ought to pay us for defence”, and that it had taken American semiconductor enterprise.
His remarks pummelled shares of Taiwan’s TSMC, the world’s largest contract chipmaker and a significant provider to firms similar to Apple and Nvidia.
Talking to reporters in Taipei forward of this week’s Semicon Taiwan exhibition, set to be attended by prime executives from TSMC, Samsung and SK Hynix, Kuo rejected Trump’s remarks.
“Taiwan didn’t steal the US chip trade,” mentioned Kuo, beforehand a senior govt of a TSMC provider, Topco Scientific.
Taiwan helps complement the US chip trade in manufacturing, and makes chips as commissioned by US trade, he added.
“This can be a misunderstanding on Trump’s half. The president has rather a lot on his plate; possibly a pal or a competitor in Taiwan informed him that,” Kuo mentioned.
TSMC is spending billions constructing new factories abroad, together with US$65 billion on three crops within the US state of Arizona, although it says most manufacturing will keep in Taiwan.
TSMC’s Arizona factories are a vital a part of the Biden administration’s efforts to spice up the chips provide chain and guarantee the USA is much less reliant on chips made abroad.
In 2022, the US Congress accepted the Chips and Science Act to spice up home semiconductor output with a programme of US$52.7 billion in analysis and manufacturing subsidies.
Taiwan obtained robust backing from Trump’s 2017-2021 administration, together with arms gross sales, which have continued underneath the federal government of President Joe Biden.
Trump spoke to then-Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen in 2016 shortly after he received the election, prompting anger in Beijing, as the USA doesn’t formally recognise Taiwan’s authorities, and glee in Taipei.
Taiwan’s authorities rejects China’s sovereignty claims.
